Liverpool Signs Teen Talent Dara Jikiemi as Future Pillar

Liverpool have landed one of the most coveted teenagers in Britain – and they are treating Dara Jikiemi not as a gamble, but as a long-term pillar of the club’s future.

The Scotland Under-16 captain has turned his back on Celtic to join Liverpool, with the move to Anfield agreed and set to be formalised this summer. He will arrive on a scholarship deal first, then sign his maiden professional contract when he turns 17 in January.

That, on its own, would be a statement. Liverpool have not stopped there.

Club sources have mapped out a far deeper commitment: an agreement already in place for Jikiemi to sign a new long-term professional contract when he turns 18 in January 2028. For a player yet to kick a ball in red, that level of planning tells its own story about how highly he is rated on Merseyside.

A generational bet

Inside Liverpool’s academy, there is no attempt to play down expectations. Staff believe they have secured a player with genuine first-team potential and have moved quickly to protect his pathway for years ahead.

Jikiemi leaves Celtic as one of the standout talents in their youth system, a player the Scottish champions were keen to keep. He had options to stay, to continue as the jewel of their academy. Instead, he chose the intensity and opportunity of Liverpool, convinced his long-term development will be better served in England.

Those who have watched him closely talk about a rare blend: leadership and technique, authority and composure. As captain of Scotland’s Under-16s, he has already carried responsibility beyond his years. Within the game, many see him as a generational talent, one of the elite prospects in his age group across Britain.

For Liverpool, this is exactly the type of profile they want to build around.

Following the Doak route

Jikiemi is not the first to swap Celtic’s famed academy for Anfield. Ben Doak made the same journey as a teenager and has already forced his way into the first-team picture, offering a clear and recent template for what is possible.

Liverpool believe Jikiemi can follow that path, albeit in his own way and on his own timeline. The club has invested heavily in elite youth from across Britain and Ireland in recent years, but those close to the academy insist the Scot is one of the standout captures of this recruitment cycle.

The immediate focus will be simple: settle, develop, dominate at youth level. Behind that, though, there is a firm belief that he has the attributes to challenge for senior football if his progression continues as expected. By tying down both his initial scholarship and a future long-term deal in advance, Liverpool have nailed their colours to the mast. This is not a speculative punt. It is a calculated, strategic move.

A wider youth offensive

Jikiemi’s arrival is part of a broader push. While Liverpool work to build a squad under Andoni Iraola capable of contesting the game’s top honours again after a difficult title defence under Arne Slot, the club is just as aggressive in shaping the next generation.

Behind the first team, the recruitment team is scouring the market for the best young talent available. Alongside the Jikiemi deal, Liverpool have a serious and developing interest in Mexico starlet Gilberto Mora, one of the standout young players at the World Cup. Long-term admirers Manchester United are expected to back away from what could become a complex, multi-club chase, leaving Liverpool well placed if they decide to push.

Ayyoud Bouaddi is also on the radar, though Lille’s stance is hardening and any deal for the Morocco international would require an eye-watering fee.

Liverpool know those types of signings can quickly become expensive. That is why securing a player of Jikiemi’s calibre so early in his career feels like a masterstroke inside the club – a move that, if he fulfils his potential, could save them millions in future transfer fees.

For now, he is just a teenager preparing to swap Glasgow for Merseyside. But Liverpool are already planning for the day when Dara Jikiemi is not just another name in the academy, but a serious contender for a place in the first-team squad.